1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus for coating the exterior surfaces of confections with a substantially continuous and uniform coating of a liquid enrobing material that subsequently solidifies. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus for enrobing frozen confections, such as ice cream bars, wherein the confections do not include sticks or other holding devices, and wherein the enrobing material can be chocolate and can include particulate matter, such as nuts, sweet crunchy material particles, or the like, for deposition on a surface portion of the confections.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several configurations of apparatus for enrobing confections, such as ice cream bars, have been disclosed. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,027, which issued Sept. 25, 1984, to Horst F. W. Arfert, et al., an enrobing apparatus is disclosed for enrobing frozen confections such as ice cream bars having sticks extending from one end thereof. The apparatus includes a V-shaped trough that has its apex directed downwardly and extends transversely to the direction of movement of a plurality of side-by-side ice cream bars having their sticks extending transversely relative to the conveying direction. One edge of the trough includes a plurality of spaced, recessed dams with intervening baffles to separate chocolate that flows over the dams into a series of transversely spaced curtains of chocolate that are so positioned that the chocolate covers only the ice cream bars, and not the sticks.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,228,357, which issued Jan. 11, 1966, to J. M. M. Bruschke et al., an enrobing apparatus is disclosed in which the enrobing material is sprayed over the top and bottom surfaces of an ice cream bar, which is conveyed through the apparatus by means of a pair of transversely spaced conveyors that each carry opposed spikes to extend into the outer, transversed ends of the ice cream bars for conveying them through the various sections of the apparatus. Additionally, upper air blast tubes are provided for directing air over the coated ice cream bars for removing excess chocolate and for smoothing the chocolate coating.
Additionally, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,987, which issued Oct. 8, 1974, to Joost M. M. Bruschke et al., a V-shaped trough provides a single, continuous, transversely extending chocolate curtain through which ice cream bars are conveyed for coating the chocolate. The bottom surfaces of the ice cream bars are coated by supporting the ice cream bars so that the bottom surfaces are carried through a pool of enrobing material provided in a container defining a bottom coater.
Although the prior art devices operate in a generally satisfactory manner, it is desired to provide an improved enrobing apparatus that is capable of operating at high speeds, that can be adjusted to accommodate confections of different sizes, and that can be used to apply enrobing liquids that include solid particles, without obstructing the outlets through which such liquids and particulate enrobing materials issue. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such improved apparatus.